This invention relates to a fixation medium transport mechanism of a liquid ejecting device, and more particularly to a structure for receiving droplets ejected to the outside of a print area in the move range of a liquid ejecting head.
A liquid ejecting device is used as a record apparatus used with an image record apparatus, a color material ejecting apparatus used for manufacturing a color filter of a liquid crystal display, etc., an electrode material (conductive paste) ejecting apparatus used for electrode formation of an organic EL display, an FED (face light emitting display), etc., a bioorganic substance ejecting apparatus used for biochip manufacturing, a specimen ejecting apparatus as a precision pipet, etc. One form of liquid ejecting device will be discussed by taking an ink jet record apparatus as an example.
The ink jet record apparatus includes at least a platen for flattening a fixation medium in a move area of an ejecting head and the ejecting head mounted on a carriage for reciprocating in the width direction of the fixation medium. The ink jet record apparatus records data of an image, etc., while ejecting ink droplets from the ejecting head to the fixation medium supported on the platen. After terminating one-line recording, the ink jet record apparatus feeds paper a predetermined amount and then records data of the next line. The ink jet record apparatus repeats this operation sequence.
However, at printing, if an erroneous paper size is set or a fixation medium of a smaller size than print data is placed, or if so-called borderless printing of a little enlarging and recording print data is performed to print an image on the whole fixation medium, printing is also performed reaching the outside of the fixation medium and the platen is contaminated by ink. As a result, when the next fixation medium is placed, the back of the fixation medium is contaminated by ink deposited on the platen; this is a problem.
To solve such a problem, as disclosed in JP-A-2001-301201, a concave part is formed at a position extending off the surroundings of the fixation medium, of a fixation medium reception member for supporting the fixation medium and an ink absorbing member is housed in the concave part. Also, as disclosed in JP-A-11-254657, an ink absorbing member is placed at a position supporting a fixation medium and extending off one end of the fixation medium.
However, the former involves a problem of limitation on the amount of ink that can be stored in the concave part and the latter involves a problem of ink floating on the surface of the ink absorbing member and contaminating the back of the fixation medium if the absorption capacity of the ink absorbing member is degraded.